Stock-car



(No Modl.) 2 Sheefs-Sheef l.

A. O. M A-THER.

' Stock Oafr. No. 240,527. Patented April 26,1881.

N4 PEYERS. PHOTO-UTHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTOI. D C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2..

(Na Model.) r A. G.- MAT;H'ER. Stock Car. 5 1 No. 240.521.Paten-tedApriI'ZG, Iss1.

fmeasei=s v I {21/02/2221:

",PETERS, PHOTO-LJIYHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED I STATES PATENT OFF CE.

ALONZO C. MATHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STOCK-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,527, dated April26, 1881.

Application filed October 15, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALONZO O. MATHER, ofChicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Stock-Cars, of which thefollowing, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification.

In the drawings, Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a side elevation, showing theside removed, of a stockcar embodying my improvements. Fig. 2, Sheet 2,is an open-end view, also showing some of the interior parts in section.Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is a vertical longitudinal section through a part ofone of the drinking-troughs, and Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a sectionalperspective of a portion of one of the drinking-troughs.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

A is the interior of the car, and B B are bars or rails forming a partof the frame of the car.

C C are water-feeders, consisting, by preference, of hollow cylinders ortubes having a diameter of about one foot.

D D are drinking-ports in the water-feeders C C. The parts 0 C areintended to be closed, excepting at the ports D D, so as to preventsplashing during the movements of the car.

E E are floats, connected movably to the water-feeders, and arrangeddirectly below the ports D D, to further prevent splashing, and yetpermit the animals to drink.

' Removable plugs or stoppers F F may be arranged in the ports when thecar does not contain stock.

In order to admit of the water-feeders being washed out with facility, Ideem it best to employremovable plugs G G, either in one orboth endsthereof, and H isa shut-off in one of the said plugs.

I is aremovablehosefor snpplyin g the water.

Feed-troughs may be formed between the ports D D by means of sidepieces, J J, as is clearly indicated in Figs. 3 and 4.

K K are hooks attached to the water-feeders C C, and adapted to behooked upon the bars B B, so that the said feeders may be adjusted orarranged at any suitable height for use, and hung up high enough to beentirely out of the way when not in use, as indicated in Fig. 2. Thesehooks may be connected to the waterfeeders either rigidly or by means ofstaples or loops, or in any suitable way. A port, D, is made for eachanimal.

L L are vertical posts or bars, arranged three by three at suitableintervals along the sides N N are cross-bars, supported removably inopposite sockets, M M. By this means I am enabled to form for the stockstalls which may be varied both as to width and as to height. Thefeeders C 0, when filled or in use, may rest upon the upper bars, N N,as indicated in Fig. 1.

O O are windlasses, rotated by means of the loose levers P P, the pawlsB R, pivoted thereto, and the ratchet-wheels S S, rigidly applied to thewindlassshafts, in. connection with the stop pawls or catches T T. TheseWindlasses are arranged at intervals along and across the upper part ortop of the car, the intervals being such as to bring the windlassesover, or nearly over, the central posts, L L, of each triplicate set ofsaidposts. The windlass-shafts'rest, by preference, 011 spiral springs UU encircling the vertically slotted or open bearings V V.

W and W are ropes or chains attached to the Windlass-shafts anddepending into the car. I

In the lower ends of the cords W' W are the hooks A A, and B B arecomparatively short transversely-arranged bars, having staples or eyes CC near their ends, into which staples the hooks A A are placed.

. D is a broad belt, made continuous, by preference, and arranged orsuspended in deep loops or folds, and passing over and being supportedby the bars B B, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. To prevent the belt Dfrom slipping on the bars B B, I make eyelets in the belt, and arrangethese eyelets to receive the staples A A. By these means a very broadand comfortable support is furnished for the stock, and

this support extends along the sides, as well as along the belly,of eachanimal. That part of the support which aids anyone animal is alsocapable of vertical adjustment independently of the support for the nextadjacent animal, or the belt may be adjusted vertically to suit theheight of each animal. This vertical adjustment may be accomplished withfacility by means of the several windlasses, first one being set andthen another until each animal is properly supported. i V

E is a vertically-ad j ustable and folding hayrack, suspended bymeans ofthe cords, ropes, or chains W W. In order that the rack E shall not beadjusted vertically, or have its proper position disturbed during theadjust- -lasses, for the reason that windlasses like those already shownwould serve the purpose now referred to; and I also desire to state thathaving suggested a suitable way of adjusting the rack E vertically, I donot here intend to be restricted to that particular means of adjustment,as any well-known and suitable means may be'employed for suchadjustment. I construct the rack E and make it folding by making it inthe form of a folding truss, in which a is acenter beam having mortisesor sockets a, a :in its sides, and by inserting into these mo-rtises thelaterally extending bars I) b, jointed at b, and of such length as toform an arch or truss when, extending to the sides of the car, as isclcarlyindicated in Fig. 2. Itis intended that the lower ends of thebars b b will rest on some of the longitudinal bars 0 0 usually found inthe frame-work of stock-cars, and that these bars and the sides or wallof the car will serve as abutments to support the rack in position foruse.

When the rack is not in use it may be folded and raised, as indicated bythe dotted or broken lines shown at d d in Fig. 2.

Spring hooks or catches e 6 may be employed to hold "the folding ends ofthe bars I) bin their folded position.

Ventilating ports or scuttles f f, arranged in the roof, may also beemployed with advantage.

I desire, also, here to state that the rack E may be adjusted verticallyby being set on higher or lower bars, 0 c, and that this mode ofadjustment is aided by making the rack folding, even though it be notfolded-entirely together and suspended off of the bars 0 c, as indicatedat d d.

It will be perceived from the foregoing de scription, and from referenceto the drawings, that simplicity and utility of construction andoperation are-aimed at in the improvements I have set forth, withoutsacrificing the comfort and safety of the stock, my chief object beingto make humane provision for the transportation of live-stock over longlines of railways.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a stock-car, of the folding andvertically-adjustable hay-rack, E, containing the laterally-extendingbars b b, jointed between their ends, and adapted for support in anarched or truss-like form, substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

2. A folding and vertically-adjustable hayrack, in combination with awindlass and a stock-car, substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

3. In combination with a stock-car, the independent adjustable andremovable closed Water-tank 0, provided with a suspendinghook, andhaving therein one or more drinkingports,-each surrounded by a guard orflange to prevent splashing, substantially as shown and described.

4. A hollow trough having therein one or more drinking-ports,andcontaining a float at said port or ports, in combination witha-stockcar, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. The combination, with a stock-car, of

stalls constructed by means of removable bars separate and independentof each other and of thecar, and mortiscs or sockets arranged invertical and horizontal series alongthe sides of the car to receive theends of the said bars, and whereby both the width and height of thestalls may be varied by arranging the said bars incorrespondingly-located mortises or sockets, substantially as specified.

6. Thestock-supporting belt, in combination with a vertically-yieldingsupport for suspending the same adjustably and yieldingly at variousheights, substantially as specified.

7. The combination, in a stock-car, of a belt, D, and avertically-yielding Windlass, substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

8. A supporting-bar resting on springs, in combination with astock-supporting belt connected to the said bar, substantially as andfor the purposes specified.

ALONZO O. MATHER.

Witnesses:

J nssrn E. STUART, F. F. WARNER.

